Jerry Brown urges climate action

Gov. Jerry Brown has challenged California’s green-building entrepreneurs to help lead a national charge against climate change.

During an address at the Greenbuild convention in San Francisco on Nov. 16 (two days after California’s carbon cap-and-trade system went into effect), Brown (pictured) urged thousands of attendees to push for climate action, according to SFGate.com.

Brown—who oversaw the introduction of the nation’s first energy-efficiency standards for buildings in 1978 during his first tenure as governor—emphasized that California can lead the way on climate efforts, but more nationwide support is necessary.

“We can be a little bit out in front, but we can’t be too far,” he offered of the Golden State’s efforts to cope with climate change. “So it’s up to you to galvanize the other states, and the United States, to get with it.”